Shop owner's frustration at plastic bollards

Iftikhar Ahmed, who owns Najib’s Food Store on the corner of Bourges Boulevard and Serjeant Street, believes the row of bollards outside Gladstone Primary Academy, which is opposite his shop, are inadequate.

The school opened its second site at Bourges Boulevard four years ago in a £7 million project that created an extra 480 places.

“The bollards are so flimsy the kids even move them,” said Mr Ahmed, who also has bollards outside his shop.

“They are just coming out and the council said they are not going to replace them.

“They are rubbish. We have one or two which every month to a month-and-a-half break.

“Originally we had solid bollards there but they took them off and said they were going to replace them when they built the school.

“When it snowed earlier this year a car went straight into a bollard outside my shop. Luckily I have a proper one outside otherwise it would have gone into my shop.

“They’ve now replaced it with a plastic one.”

A Peterborough City Council spokesman admitted the solid bollard outside Mr Ahmed’s store had been replaced by one made of recycled plastic due to “availability of stock” but that it will be replaced “when the option arises.”

On the bollards outside the school, he added: “The bollards are suitable for this location to restrict illegal parking and ensure pedestrian safety but they are not designed to withstand vehicle impact or building protection. They are locked in place by a key and as such generally operate well throughout city.

“We are not aware of any issues of not replacing bollards.

“The bollards will be maintained as part of our green claims policy where we will recover the cost against the offenders. Generally we use the recycled plastic type of bollards, because solid types can become more dangerous if they are struck by a vehicle for example.”